Forced Re-education Of Muslims In China

In October 2018, several news outlets reported that Muslims in China were being detained for re-education purposes. The reports suggested that China was participating in the practice of forced conversion whereby Muslims, among other things, are forced to “eat pork and drink alcohol.” Activities that, in fact, have nothing to do with education. The topic has recently gained much attention, yet several politicians first raised this issue months ago, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) for example.

This picture taken on June 26, 2017, shows a Muslim man arriving at the Id Kah Mosque for the morning prayer on Eid al-Fitr in the old town of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. The increasingly strict curbs imposed on the mostly Muslim Uyghur population have stifled life in the tense Xinjiang region, where beards are partially banned and no one is allowed to pray in public. Beijing says the restrictions and heavy police presence seek to control the spread of Islamic extremism and separatist movements, but analysts warn that Xinjiang is becoming an open-air prison. (Photo credit: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)

In a letter dated April 3, 2018, and sent by Marco Rubio and Chris Smith to US Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, the facts are made clear. The letter cites credible reports that between 500,000 and a million people are or have been detained in said re-education camps in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It alleges that this practice of re-education is the largest mass incarceration of a minority population in the world today:

Thousands are being held for months at a time and subjected to political indoctrination sessions. Many have reportedly been detained for praying, wearing “Islamic” clothing, or having foreign connections, such as previous travel abroad or relatives living in another country. Reports have emerged of the deaths of detainees in these centers, including the death of a well-known Muslim religious scholar who may have been held in such a facility, and there are reports that torture and other human rights abuses are occurring in overcrowded centers secured by guard towers, barbed wire, and high walls.”

Even though, initially, the Chinese government denied the existence of such re-education camps, the subsequent steps taken by the Chinese government suggests otherwise. In October 2018, the Chinese government introduced a new law aimed at addressing extremism that may be seen as legalizing the reported re-education camps.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Deradicalization Regulations aims to contain and eliminate extremism. Article 3 defines extremism as the “expressions and behaviors that are influenced by extremism, rendering radical religious ideas, and rejecting and intervening in normal production and life.” Furthermore, “extremism… refers to the propositions and actions of inciting hatred, inciting discrimination, and advocating violence by distorting religious teachings or other means.” The definition contained in Article 3 is a very vague concept which may incorporate any activities that differ from the “normal production and life” in China. Relying on the concept of extremism has always been challenging, even in countries with decent human rights records like the United Kingdom. Yet in a country, like China, with a poor human rights record, can only lead to increase in human rights abuses.

The in Article 9 prohibited activities include activities to “promote and disseminate the idea of extremism”, “Intervening in normal cultural and recreational activities, rejecting or rejecting public goods and services such as radio and television”, “Generalizing the concept of halal, expanding the concept of halal to other fields outside the field of halal food, and rejecting and interfering with the secular life of others by the name of the truth”, “Not allowing children to receive national education and hinder the implementation of the national education system”, “publishing, printing, distributing, selling, producing, downloading, storing, copying, consulting, exchanging, holding articles, publications, audio and video containing extreme content”, “Deliberately interfering with or undermining the implementation of the family planning policy”, and “Other extreme speeches and behaviors.”

With the vague definition of extremism, the list of prohibited activities in Article 9 sets an incredibly dangerous precedent. Indeed, these activities refer to practices that would otherwise be allowed in accordance with basic rights to freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief (and especially religious manifestation or the parental right to educate their children in accordance with parent’s religious beliefs). All are protected under international standards. (Although, it is noteworthy that while China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1998, it has never ratified it.)

The new law identifies what deradicalization may involve. Article 14 of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Deradicalization Regulations refers to the types of centers recently reported in the media and suggests that to combat extremism, it is crucial to “combine individual education with vocational skills education and training center education, combine legal education with helping education activities, ideological education, psychological counseling, behavior correction and learning of national language, The combination of learning law, learning skills, educational transformation and humanistic care will enhance the effectiveness of educational transformation.”

In accordance with Article 33 of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Deradicalization Regulations: “Educational performance training institutions such as vocational skill education and training centers shall carry out national common language writing, laws and regulations, and vocational skills education and training, organize and carry out extremist ideological education, psychological correction, behavior correction, and promote the thinking of educated and trained personnel. Transform, return to society, return to the family.”

It is clear that the new law dealing with the concept of extremism is excessive and so invites its abuse. Virtually any activity could fall within the scope of the provisions. The reported re-education centers, whether justified by the new law or not, constitute a gross violation of a litany of human rights and are specifically targeted at eradication of the religious minority group in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. This is a clear example of a counter-extremism narrative going too far and of its abuse to justify the forced conversion of Muslims minorities in China.

Ewelina U. Ochab is a human rights advocate and author of the book “Never Again: Legal Responses to a Broken Promise in the Middle East.”

Ewelina U. Ochab is a legal researcher and human rights advocate, and author of the book “Never Again: Legal Responses to a Broken Promise in the Middle East.” Ochab works on the topic of persecution of minorities around the world, with main projects including Daesh genocid...